Up in Arms — AFJROTC Commands Top Honors at Drill Competition

“Present arms!” The shout is one of Woodrow’s winning commands. On March 23rd, 2022, Woodrow’s AFJROTC (Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) went to a drill competition at the Maxwell National Guard Base in Lewisburg, W.Va. 

At drill competitions, there are specific commands the commanding officer must call to the rest of the group, and the team, or corps, must follow these commands. Squadrons are graded on how each member of the group performs the command and how the commander calls the command.

During this drill competition, Woodrow placed 1st platoon, which consisted of 13 people including a commander; 1st squadron, which consisted of 9 people including a commander; and 1st colorguard, consisting of 4 people with flags and rifles.

Apart from competing at drill comps, JROTC has a lot to offer students. JROTC is a good way to learn discipline, it teaches students how to take orders and follow commands as well as how to be respectful to people, especially those in authority. Part of their curriculum is dedicated to bettering themselves as citizens. Like most other sports, JROTC teaches teamwork and community by putting students in an environment where they must work as a team and support each other.

Kai Lawrence, a Senior at Woodrow, says that JROTC is “somewhat like a brotherhood. It comes with friends and lots of fun. You get to work in a lot of groups of people that you don’t know.” Exercise is important for growing teenagers, and JROTC involves a great deal of physical activity to help students get and stay in shape. Arguably the biggest benefits of JROTC  are the friends made along the way. Alexus Parsons, a Sophomore here at Woodrow, describes the community to be “full of intelligent and kind people.” There are also academic benefits to be gained. JROTC educates students with classes such as Survival Skills, Aerospace Science and Leadership Education. JROTC also has embedded credits which allow for students to have a more flexible schedule so that they can take more of the classes they want. Two years of JROTC will give students a whole history credit.